Sweden has a rich cinematic history.  Since the Oscars created a category for best International Feature Film in 1956, a total of 16 movies have earned a nomination.  The two in the past decade have been Ruben Östlund’s The Square, and Hannes Holm’s A Man Called Ove.  The Last Journey was Sweden’s official submission in this year’s race and while it didn’t make the short list, it’s still an excellent film.  Notably, it’s just the second time in 70 years that the Swedish Film Institute submitted a documentary as its country’s entrant.

The topic of ageing is worthy doco subject.  We may not have experienced it ourselves (yet anyway), but we have parents, grandparents, friends, and colleagues who have reached a point in their lives where their physical and/or mental capabilities are not what they once were.  Filmmaker Filip Hammar, working with long-time collaborator Fredrik Wikingsson, tackles the subject in the most personal way possible by pointing the camera at his 80-year-old father, Lars.

There’s a sweet introduction which shows old home movies from the day Lars retired from his job as a French teacher in 2008.  He’s active, he’s emotional, he’s excited, and he’s talking about his desire to make the most of his free time and travel around the world.  That footage is a stark contrast from the Lars of today – a tired, forlorn guy who spends much of his day sitting in a Belgian armchair.  To summarise the thoughts of Lars’ wife and son, he’s not enjoying life anymore and, with zero spark, it’s as if he’s just running down the clock and waiting to die.

Looking to reinvigorate his dad, Filip plans a father-and-son road trip where the pair will travel from their home in Köping, Sweden to the coastal community of Beaulieu-sur-Mer in southern France.  It was the site of countless family holidays in the 1980s and, guided by old photos, videos and cassette tapes, Filip hopes it will trigger his dad’s memory and help him realise there’s still more joy to be found in his life.

As much a feature as the two leads is the car they travel in.  To keep with the 1980s theme, Filip acquires a bright orange Renault 4 which has no air conditioning and can barely get above 60 kilometres an hour.  He calls it “Europe’s most overtaken car” as they traverse the freeways of Belgium and France.  It may not be the film’s dominant purpose but it’s also a great advertisement for European tourism as the camera, sometimes attached to a drone, captures the beautiful landscapes and architecture of the region.

I realise we’ve all got different tastes, but The Last Journey feels like a movie which is impossible to dislike.  How can you not be moved watching a kind-hearted son take his elderly dad on one final trip to his dream holiday venue?  It clocks in at a sharp 90 minutes and includes some funny misadventures involving French actors, a parrot, and a Harry Belafonte quip.

The highest grossing documentary in Swedish film history, The Last Journey is a beautiful motion picture.